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Home » Travel » A Public Art Trail in Frederick MD That’s Worth Walking (More than Once)

A Public Art Trail in Frederick MD That’s Worth Walking (More than Once)

By: Liz  /  Published: March 5, 2019  /  Updated: December 24, 2020  /   Leave a comment

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The public art trail in Frederick, MD is one of the reasons I fell in love with this hip and historic city in Western Maryland, and it’s always the first thing I tell visitors they should do upon arriving.

In fact, if you only have a few hours to spend in Frederick, following the Frederick art trail will ensure you see much of what gives the vibrant downtown its special appeal. And it’s free.

A close up of a flower garden

Public Art Trail  Frederick, MD

You can pick up a Frederick art trail guide pamphlet at the visitors center but if you prefer to keep things digital, you can use this interactive guide on your mobile device. 

Start your Frederick art trail walk at the Delaplaine Arts Center where you’ll find contemporary art including the wind-sensitive “Artist at Work” sculpture.

A plant in a garden

Artist at Work

A close up of a flower garden

Tip: Go inside the building and look out towards the bridge in Carroll Creek Park. You’ll get the best perspective of an angel you’ll see a bit “differently” further along the trail.

view from Delaplaine of angel on bridge - Frederick MD public art trail

Now you’ll start your walk through Carroll Creek Park and begin your love affair with Frederick. There is so much to see as you stroll this area and there are lots of hidden trompe l’oeil surprises on the Community Bridge that you won’t notice unless you look, so take your time and get sleuthing!

an iron bridge

Iron Bridge 

A bridge over some water

Zodiac sculptures are on both sides of the bridge, so look for your sign!

Marie Diehl Memorial drinking fountain

I spent a long time searching the Community Bridge for optical illusions and found so many I had never noticed on my previous visit to Frederick. My favorite finds were the clustered spires paintings!

wall mural

wall mural

wall mural

wall mural

A brick wall mural

A close up of a brick mural wall

And remember that angel I talked about earlier? This is how you’ll see her when you get up close – distorted!

An old stone mural on bridge

Next, you’ll start a section of the trail that winds you through some of the most historic and beautiful spots in downtown Frederick, and there are lots of restaurants and shops to pop in along the way.

Edge of Gravity mural

A person standing next to Edge of Gravity mural

 

charity the dog statue

Charity, the dog

A large brick building

“The Dreaming”

A statue in front of a brick building

Fun fact: Frederick native, John Hanson, was the first President of Congress Assembled under the Articles of the Confederation. Eight men served one-year terms; he was the first.

A cow statue in park

The Spire

A small clock tower in the middle of a field

A bridge over a river

Baker Park – Frederick’s 58-acre playground

A statue in front of a tree

A statue of an animal

“Guess” the dog’s name.

A fountain of water

Clarke Fountain in Courthouse Square – an absolutely beautiful part of downtown Frederick

Clarke Fountain

Earthbound mural

“Earthbound”

A pheasant sitting in front of a window mural

Does this pheasant look real or what?

dinosaur mural on parking garage

This mural is painted on a parking garage.

A close up of a street in front of a building

In between the art stops, be sure to take a break and admire the many churches of downtown Frederick which give the city its famous skyline of clustered spires.

church steeple

A tree in front of a church steeple

When you finish this section of the Frederick art trail, you can stroll several blocks further uptown to see two more murals. It’s worth it to see some of the beautiful homes and buildings (and cute shops) along the way.

North of Fourth mural

A mural on the side of a building

A view of a building

A bench in front of a brick building

A car parked on a city street

By the way, if you’re looking for the most instagrammable spots in Frederick, you’ll find a ton of them on the public art trail in Frederick (as you can see from my photos), so it’s yet another excuse to wander it.

In fact, I’m nearly positive it’s something you’ll want to do every time you come to Frederick. It’s one of the best art trails I’ve ever seen.

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Frederick Maryland public art trail

I’m convinced there’s no better way to catch a city’s vibe than to explore it on foot, so it’s no surprise to me that my favorite places are those in which I had time to wander, discover and explore on my own… like Frederick.

For more information on the Frederick art trail, local festivals and events, head to the Visit Frederick (Tourism Council of Frederick County, Inc.) website.

 

Related topics
Maryland Travel

About Liz

Liz is a midwestern mom gone southern (accent in transition). She lives in North Carolina and loves cooking, baking, traveling, movies, crafts, hot and cold tea, wine, pizza and the occasional nap. She also revels in the fact she's a crazy cat lady.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. S H says

    March 30, 2019 at 5:46 pm

    I was born and raised in Frederick and have lived in California now for most of my life. I miss my hometown, especially now that it’s so cool! It’s natural beauty is still as wonderful as ever (I spent quite a bit of time in Baker Park!). I’m so glad the city had this vision to make Frederick such a great destination. Sigh…I need to go home…

    Reply
    • Liz says

      March 31, 2019 at 12:01 pm

      Awww, I hope you get the chance to revisit your hometown before long. It has become one of my favorite cities!

      Reply
  2. alissa apel says

    March 7, 2019 at 4:11 pm

    That pheasant does look real! I had to do a double take! That’s a cool place to be!

    Reply
  3. Ruth I says

    March 6, 2019 at 9:36 am

    This is a lovely trail! I’d love to walk through it too. Everything is pretty!

    Reply
  4. Nancy Johnson Horn says

    March 6, 2019 at 7:30 am

    Everything looks so fun and beautiful! I love your photos!

    Reply
  5. Catalina says

    March 6, 2019 at 5:49 am

    OMG! Such a beautiful place! Definitely a unique place! I should visit it!

    Reply
  6. Celebrate Woman Today says

    March 5, 2019 at 11:35 pm

    So much culture and history! There are so many places like this one that offers a lot to reflect and take in.

    Reply
  7. Sherry says

    March 5, 2019 at 10:52 pm

    This is something I would love to do. I really enjoy discovering artistic pieces around town.

    Reply
  8. reesa says

    March 5, 2019 at 9:42 pm

    What a cool thing to do on a nice day! I love the one of the man coming off of the wall.

    Reply
  9. maris closetohome says

    March 5, 2019 at 8:03 pm

    This is not that far from me, I really need to check it out. thanks for the tips b/f I travel

    Reply
  10. Kristi says

    March 5, 2019 at 7:56 pm

    What a great way to see the city. Love your photos of all of the fabulous art. Looks like a beautiful town.

    Reply
  11. Jody says

    March 5, 2019 at 11:22 am

    These structure, statues, and artwork are absolutely beautiful!
    What a great stress reliever to walk around and admire these amazing pieces.

    Reply
  12. Lisa Joy Thompson says

    March 5, 2019 at 10:33 am

    This is so cool!!!! I totally want to check out this public art trail. If we had something like this where I live, I’d make it my running trail!

    Reply

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